Earth planning date: Friday, May 1, 2026 Chile’s Atacama desert is the driest mid-latitude desert in the world, receiving only 15 millimeters (0.59 inches) of precipitation per year. Only the […]
Mars
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report
Astrobiological Implications of Lava Flows Superposed on Martian Glaciers
Volcanic eruptions and glacial ice have occurred at virtually all latitudes and altitudes throughout Mars history.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
The European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) 2026 Conference: Astrobiology Missions
The European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) 2026 Conference will be organised by the Space Exploration Institute in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, from the 1st (Tuesday) to the 4th (Friday) September 2026.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Courses, Mars, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Summer School: Biosignatures and the Search For Life on Mars
For the summer school “Biosignatures and the Search For Life on Mars”, which will be held in Iceland from 18 to 26 June 2026 we still have some rest places. […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Diverse Organic Molecules On Mars Revealed By The First SAM TMAH Experiment
The search for organic matter on Mars has rapidly evolved in the past decade with simple aromatic, S-heterocycles, and aliphatic organic molecules detected in Gale crater.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Mercury, Status Report, Venus
Astrochemical Inheritance of Terrestrial Planets Water from Local Wet Silicates
The delivery of water to the inner Solar System rocky planets, including Earth, remains debated, as standard models assume that they formed from dry grains, inside the snowline of the […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Radiation, Space Life Science, Status Report
Survival Of NASA-cleanroom Microbial Isolates Under Simulated Space And Martian Conditions
Planetary protection hinges on understanding microbial survival following reduction procedures, the stressors of space travel, and exposure to extraterrestrial environmental conditions. This study identified 23 fungal strains isolated from NASA […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
NASA’s Perseverance, Curiosity Panoramas Capture Two Sides of Mars
NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have captured two 360-degree landscapes that highlight how the missions are revealing details of the Red Planet’s formation, watery past, and potential for life (astrobiology).
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report
Rover-Induced Mineral Transformations: Extent of the Effect for the Mars Science Laboratory and Opportunities for Future Landed Mission
X-ray amorphous sulfate hydrates are a substantial component (up to 23 wt%) of the sedimentary rocks and sands analyzed to date by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Gale […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
In Situ Analytical Chemistry Laboratory for the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor
In this paper, we report a fully automated, end-to-end (sample-in/data-out) capillary electrophoresis system.